Gabriella Ackerly: Origins
by Spirits Among Stars
Summary: S.H.I.E.L.D. discover a strange object in Death Valley. Fury plans to harness the object's energy for weapons against threats to the Earth and enlists the help of one of the scientists within S.H.I.E.L.D. to study it to see if it's possible. With disastrous results.
1. Chapter 1

**With Avengers: Age of Ultron coming out later this year I thought 'Hey, what about on OC origin story?' and so here it is. It features canon and OC characters.**

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><p>A summer night loitered in the air as Doctor Ackerly sat at her desk busying away at her computer. Gabriella was reading up on the latest working of S.H.I.E.L.D. technology and what could be done to better them. She sipped at her tea with her legs kicked up on the table reading the wad of information on the computer screen. Whenever she had a pause in typing out ideas that would help S.H.I.E.L.D. she would drum her fingers on the table.<p>

Gabriella glanced at the clock on the wall _23:34pm_ blared back at her. She sighed and rubbed her tired face. She has been up since dawn for almost two days helping S.H.I.E.L.D. out with a terrorist that had infiltrated the US congress in order to kill of most congressmen. She desperately needed some sleep. So she finished reading the last paragraph with heavy and sore eyes and saved the computer document. She turned off the computer and yawned wide.

Leaving the empty mug of tea on the desk she headed to her room kicking off her shoes and taking off her jacket on the way. Her dog followed her to the bedroom. Ackerly shut the open curtains and turned out all the lights. She didn't bother to take the rest of her clothes off before she flopped onto the bed and covered herself in the soft sheets. Her blue merle border collie joined her on the end of the bed. She yanked out her hair tie and tossed it onto the carpet somewhere. She told Orion goodnight and patted his head and listened to him settle on the bed. Then she rolled onto her front and closed her stinging eyes. In the distance an owl hooted lulling Gabriella to sleep.

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><p>A loud harsh ringing sound woke her up. Orion slept through it. Ackerly noticed that it was still dark outside but thankfully the heat of the previous day had subsided. Ackerly groaned tiredly and rolled over to glance at the clock. She blinked at the blurry digital clock. <em>2:16am<em> stared back at her. She groaned, swore to herself and sat up, the sheets fell around her. The phone continued to ring with the annoying tone so she quickly, but sleepily, picked it up and answered the call.

"Ye-" she didn't like the way that sounded. It was like she had a blocked throat so she cleared it. "Yeah?" She asked, rubbing her sore eyes and stifling a yawn.

"Sorry about the early morning call, Ackerly," came Phil Coulson's voice, "but you need to come in."

Gabriella groaned and flopped back into the bed, "Phil, I've not even been back for 4 hours," she whined tiredly, "and I've not had a wink of sleep since I got back because I've had to look at those damned analyses. Gimme a couple more hours." She rubbed her forehead.

"You can sleep on the jet. It should be there in half an hour." Coulson replied. "And again, sorry about the morning call."

"It's alright," she dismissed, "I'll see you later." Ackerly hung up the phone and pushed herself up. She forced herself to crawl out of bed and make it; she fluffed the pillows and tucked in the corners. Orion made himself comfy in the middle of the bed. Ackerly had given up on asking S.H.I.E.L.D. what they wanted because they never gave her a straight answer over the phone, even though it's a secure channel. Now she had half an hour before her transport came so she took a soothing shower, ridding her of some aches and pains and got dressed. She brushed the knots from her messy brown hair. She tied on her scuffed boots and pulled on her jacket by the time the jet arrived.

The jet made a lot of noise when it landed in her front yard. The wind currents it created kicked up dirt, stones, and grass and flower petals. Ackerly and Orion rushed to the front door and she opened in time to see the ramp lower and the pilot emerge. It was Clint Barton.

Ackerly grabbed her ready bag that was next to the front door and moved out of the house. She locked the place and headed towards the jet. Orion barked happily when he saw Barton.

Clint met them with a warm smile and rubbed the collie on the head. "Out again, doc?" Barton asked with a cheeky smile. "You need a holiday."

"Tell me something I don't know." Ackerly said. "I need a long, long holiday."

"I honestly have no idea how you're still standing." Barton commented scratching the dog's ear.

"Me neither." Ackerly rubbed her eyes. "C'mon Orion." The three of them walked into the jet. Barton closed the ramp and Ackerly told Orion to sit beside her. She sat down in one of the side seats and strapped herself in.

Barton settled into the pilot seat started up the Quinjet. "This is agent Barton. S.H.I.E.L.D. I have Doctor Ackerly, we'll see you in a couple hours."

"A couple hours? How fast are we flying?" Ackerly asked.

Barton chuckled, "Fast enough." Ackerly chuckled quietly and rolled her eyes.

The jet kicked up dirt and stones as it lifted off the ground. Barton kicked it into gear and it shot off into the sky. The white clouds whooshed passed them. Ackerly felt her eyes get sore.

"Clint." Ackerly asked after a couple minutes of silence.

"Yeah?" He answered.

"D'you mind if I sleep on the journey?" She asked.

"Not at all, G, go ahead." Barton said. "You need the sleep."

"Yeah. I do." Ackerly agreed. The doctor shifted herself so she was able to lie down on the bench; she adjusted her belts and found a soft enough position on the seat. She closed her eyes as she watched the clouds zoom pass.


	2. Chapter 2

Orion licked at Ackerly's dangling hand and Barton shoved her shoulder. "Hey doc, we're here." He said a bit too loud for Ackerly's taste.

Ackerly groaned and blinked up at Barton. "Ok." She unbuckled herself from her seat and stood onto shaky legs. She stifled a yawn and rubbed her eyes. "Smooth ride." She commented slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"We had some turbulence a few hours in but you slept like a log." Barton said with a cheeky grin. Ackerly rolled her eyes at him with a small smile. "Orion sat up front with me for a bit during it. But he was fine in the end."

"That's good." Ackerly said. She bent down and fussed Orion's head. "You were good up there I hear?" Orion wagged his tail faster and looked as if he was nodding his head. "You're a very good dog, Orion. I'll give you a treat once we've settled in." Orion barked happily and nuzzled her chest. Ackerly chuckled.

"Follow me." Barton said. He opened the ramp of the jet and the three of them strolled out onto the landing strip. Orion followed at Ackerly's heels as they stepped onto the Helicarrier.

An agent in a black suit and tie hurried towards them with purpose. Once the agent reached them she smiled, "Doctor Ackerly welcome back. You too Orion." The dog's ears perked up when he heard this name.

"Hello Teagan." Ackerly said. The two women shook hands.

Teagan Meyer turned to Barton. "Agent Romanoff wants to see you." Clint nodded. "Now." She added.

"Oh! Right." Barton quickly said. He said goodbye to the agents and Orion and hurried into the main section of the Helicarrier.

"So what are you having me do?" Ackerly asked Meyer as they walked towards the entrance leading into the Helicarrier.

"Well first things first is that you and Orion are gonna settle into your quarters and then Fury will talk to you at 1000 hours, so it'll give you time for some extra rest."

Ackerly smiled, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. And don't worry, Orion will be looked after as usual."

The three of them entered the Helicarrier and headed to crew quarters. They passed quite a few agents who wanted to pet Orion and offer to look after him while Ackerly was busy and others who wanted to speak with her about suggestions new S.H.I.E.L.D. tech.

"D'you know why Fury wants me?" Ackerly asked as they descended a flight of stairs. "Coulson didn't tell me anything."

Meyer nodded, "I do. And I think you'll enjoy it. But, as usual, I can't say anything until you've spoken with Director Fury."

Ackerly sighed but understood why she had to be kept in the dark. Rules. She never liked them much but they were always there for a reason. To protect people mostly. Especially in S.H.I.E.L.D. anyway.

Ackerly, Meyer and Orion walked down the corridor and turned left at the end. The reached Ackerly's room and she swiped her ID at the device on the door to open it. The room was in the same state she left it. The bed was made to a military standard and the floor was free of any clutter. The handful of family photos she had where still on the shelves and desk. Ackerly and Orion stepped in while Meyer stood in the doorway. Orion immediately jumped onto the bed and stretched the length of the bed.

"I'll see you in a couple hours, doc." Meyer uttered.

"Ok, bye." Ackerly half smiled. Meyer left and the door closed automatically. Gabriella groaned tiredly and tossed her bag onto the floor beside the bed. She collapsed body first onto the soft mattress. Orion jumped a little before settling himself back down. Ackerly kicked off her boots and yanked off her jacket. She pulled the covers out from under her and slid into bed. She fell asleep to the quiet hum of the Helicarrier.

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><p>Just as Meyer had said a couple hours passed and it was now 0955 hours. Meyer knocked loudly on Ackerly's door jolting her from her peaceful sleep. "Wake up, doc. You've got five minutes until Director Fury wants to see you."<p>

"Five minutes..." Ackerly muttered tiredly. Her eyes snapped open, "Five minutes!" She threw the bed sheets off herself covering the shocked collie and jumped out of bed. She had planned to take a shower before meeting with Fury but quickly decided to get changed in record time.

Meyer leaned against the wall waiting for Ackerly to be finished. She heard the doctor grumble to herself about something then nothing. The door slid open and Ackerly stepped out. She wore a suit without the jacket and a white lab coat. "Ready?" The younger of the two asked.

"Let's go." Ackerly said. Orion was to stay in her room and be feed by an automatic feeder. He already had a fresh bowl of water and he'd go to the bathroom in an automatically cleaning litter tray.

The two women hurried down the corridors and up elevators to get to Fury's office. "How was your nap?" Meyer asked as they walked along a busy corridor near the Director's office.

"It was good... Then you woke me up." Ackerly told her.

Meyer chuckled, "Well I was initially going to let you wake up yourself and find your own way there but time ticked by and you hadn't left so I decided wake you up myself."

"Should've let me sleep."

Meyer laughed again. "Fury would've liked it."

"Eh." Ackerly mumbled.

The two continued down the corridor until they reached Fury's office. "This is the end of the line for me." Meyer said. She knocked on the door for Ackerly, "See ya." and the woman left.

"Come in." Fury called.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay. Wow. Thank you for all the follows and favs! Feel free to let me know how you are enjoying this story so far. On we go!**

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><p>The door opened and Ackerly stepped in with it closing behind her. Fury stood behind his desk and he gestured for her to sit. "I understand you are wondering why I haven't allowed any information about this matter to be told to. That is because this is top secret and only a few can know." Fury pressed a button on his desk and it must have signalled another room because Romanoff and Barton walked in and stood either side of Ackerly. The room darkened and Fury pulled up a blank monitor.<p>

"Earlier today an alien object of unknown origin crash landed in Death Valley, and I sent Barton and Romanoff to investigate." Pictures of the object appeared on the screen. The artefact looked like a large egg, it was mostly blue in colour with hints of red and it glowed. Where it landed, it left a huge crater in the ground judging by the pictures taken. "It emits large amounts of energy and is currently in a secure location on the carrier." Fury then showed varieties of schematics on the screen. "I want you to try and harness its power to create weapons we can use against threats we come across."

Ackerly had nodded along to the whole thing. "Interesting. I'm the only one who can deal with this?"

Fury nodded his head, "You are the highest ranking scientist here who knows enough about energy to do this." He told her, "I want his kept between us, Agents Meyer, Coulson and Hill." Ackerly, Romanoff and Barton nodded. "They'll take you to the holding location and you can get to work. Everything you need is already there." Fury said. "Dismissed."

The three of them promptly left the office and Ackerly followed Natasha and Clint. "So how unstable is it?"

"Very," Romanoff said, "We had to carry it onto the ship in a stable container that didn't move at all. One wrong move and the whole place would've exploded."

"I'm gonna be stuck in a room with that thing," Ackerly said non to enthusiastically. "Brilliant."

"It produces energy like the sun, but we're not sure how much. It's the size of a soccer ball, no wonder it's alien." Clint added.

"Size of a football and its produces energy like the sun, man, have I got my work cut out." Ackerly ran a hand through her hair, "And Fury wants this condensed to be used in weapons. I should've got more sleep."

Barton nodded agreeing with the Doctor, "Yeah 'cause you're not going to get much anymore."

Ackerly sighed, _wonderful_.

Romanoff and Barton lead Ackerly into the depths of the Helicarrier away from the other agents and the engines. Two guards stood outside the room wearing protective army garb in case someone got curious and decided to take a look. Ackerly peered in through the thick glass window at sphere sitting in the middle of the room. It had a large secure case surrounding it with thick locks securing it to the hold.

"That's some heavy duty stuff." Ackerly said mainly to herself. She stepped back from the window and turned to Natasha and Clint, "Everything I need is in there?" The two nodded in response, "And what if there's a breach? What's the protocol?"

"First the security field will kick in locking the artefact away, then the room will seal itself to contain the blast if it does go off." Romanoff said. "If that fails then this whole section will detach and be left for the thing to explode and take the section with it."

"What about the people?"

"The only people in this section will be you and the guards once Natasha and I leave." Clint added, "It'll be your job to get the hell out of here before all that happens."

Ackerly nodded at the final piece of information. She'll have to work hard to make sure the place doesn't blow. Suddenly she felt responsible for the lives of everyone on board and what should happen if she fails but she can't afford to think like that, she'll have to knuckle down and ensure that won't happen. "Is there anything else I need to know before I start working?" Ackerly asked.

Romanoff and Barton shook their heads. "No, that's everything." Barton said.

Ackerly grasped her hands together and deeply breathed in, "Well, it's time get to work."

Barton clapped Ackerly around the shoulder, "Good luck, doc. And have fun."

Ackerly chuckled, "Thanks."

"Just call if you need anything." Romanoff said. Ackerly nodded and watched the two agents walk away.

She turned to the guards at the door and nodded her head at them to let her in. The taller one of the two gave Ackerly a card that would allow her to enter and leave as she pleased. Swiping the card on the device by the door, the door whooshed open. She stepped into the warm room and it closed behind her. Ackerly gazed around at all the different equipment she had access to, a few computers- with no doubt loads of memory- Spectrophotometers, state of the art thermometers and much more. Ackerly chuckled and rubbed her hands together. Time to get to work.


	4. Chapter 4

The next couple of days consisted of tests on the 0-8-4. Ackerly found out that it sure as hell emits energy like the sun. In three hours of studying she found out that it produces at least 3.86 x 10^27 joules of energy per hour. Ackerly also discovered that it also has its own energy source deep within itself. She used a high-powered microscope to delve into the depths of the artefact.

A few days later Ackerly was called to Fury's office to tell him her findings. While she talked and showed him diagrams and data, Fury nodded along. "Are you able to harness the energy?" Fury asked after Ackerly finished.

Ackerly nodded slightly. "Yes and no. Like I said I've been able to see inside the O.R.B.S-"

"Wait? O.R.B.S?" Fury asked.

"Yeah, we can't keep calling it an 0-8-4, can we? It stands for Object Regarding Bizarre Sparking, what can I say? I'm not that creative," Ackerly replied with a smile. "Anyway, I've been able to see inside it and get a good look at its organs. It's all incredibly intricate with tiny orbs, everything has its place. Extracting even small amounts of energy, from this point here," she pointed to an array of tiny pipes leading to a ball in the centre, "will be very tricky even with a steady hand. The inner protective casing is hard to get too. I need more time."

Fury nodded, "You'll have it." The Director stood up and moves towards a computer. He brought up the weapons designs. "So you think it's compatible with our designs."

"Yep," Ackerly said with a nod, "I'd say within the next week you'll have the casings."

"Good, good." Fury said rubbing his chin. "You've done a lot of work, have-"

The whole Helicarrier shook. Fury and Ackerly stumbled off their feet and tumbled into Fury's desk with a loud thump and pained groans. The door to Fury's office flung open with agent Teagan Meyer clinging onto the door frame for dear life.

"What the hell is goin' on out there?!" Fury urgently shouted at her.

"We've been attacked by something!" Meyer shouted back. The Helicarrier shook violently as it was hit again; Meyer almost lost her footing, "Romanoff and Barton are engaging whoever's attacking us!"

"Meyer, Ackerly," Fury called. He used his desk to help him stand up. "They may be after O.R.B.S. Get to it and protect it!"

"Yes sir!" The two chorused. Ackerly hastily stumbled to her feet and sprinted out of the room with Meyer hot on her heels.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" Ackerly asked Meyer as they hurried down the corridors.

"I was in the control room when it happened. Clint and Nat kicked onto action and sent me to tell Fury." Meyer said. "We just jolted, we couldn't see anything!"

Once more the Helicarrier lurched harshly and they slammed onto the floor. The two agents pushed themselves up and continued to the lab.

"Ackerly, hit the ground!" Meyer shouted. Ackerly instantly hit the ground and a shot rang in her ears. Ackerly looked over her shoulder at Meyer and she gestured to the dead body lying on the floor inches from Ackerly's face.

Ackerly kneeled in front of the body and examined it. "Where'd he come from?"

Meyer pointed to the air vents above them. One of the grates was ajar. "From there. He was going to dangle by his feet, but I got him before he could get us."

"Remind me to talk to Fury about the air vents. Need to make them smaller so people can't climb through them." The doctor said. Meyer nodded. "Nice shot by the way." Ackerly commented as she stood up. "Let's go."

The two women hastened down the corridors and jumped down stairs to get to the lab quicker. They could hear gunshots in the distance so they brandished their own guns. The pair skidded around the corner and was immediately fired upon by enemy forces. They fired a few times before ducking behind cover. They needed to think up a plan. Men and women shouted at each other. They shot their guns, only hesitating to reload.

Meyer and Ackerly had their backs pressed against the cover. They reloaded their weapons. A bullet hit the wall in front of them. "I'll go around back and flank them. I'll try to get into the lab." Ackerly suggested as a bullet ricocheted behind her.

"No, I'll cover you. Get into the lab as fast as you can." Meyer said. "We need to protect O.R.B.S."

Ackerly sighed, "Ok, but are you wearing-?"

"A bullet-proof vest? Yup." Meyer revealed the vest under her shirt before unbuttoning and taking off her jacket for more manoeuvrability. "Ready?"

Ackerly nodded, "Ready."

They counted to three and at the last nod of a head they charged through the throng of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and enemies in olive-coloured masks. They shot and kicked their way though. The lab that contained O.R.B.S was another floor down in the section they were in. The two emerged from the mass with cuts and bruises. Meyer ordered the surviving S.H.E.I.L.D agents to fan out and take down the enemy. The agents hurried away from the fight. The doctor and the agent darted down the corridors trying to miss conflict heading their way. They reached a tight corridor with two men blocking the flight of stairs they needed to get to the lab. The men in front of them stared the pair down.

The scene was like something from a western. Two pairs of gun welding opponents standing off against one another with their hands inches away from their weapons. One second could be the difference between life and death. The determined eyes of men stared down the equally determined women as their finger hovered over their guns.

_BANG_

Four shots fired. Two dead. One injured.


	5. Chapter 5

Meyer rushed to Ackerly's aid. The doctor lay on the floor, pressing firmly on the bullet wound to the right side of her chest. "Are you alright?" Meyer asked quickly, pressing onto the wound.

"Yeah," Ackerly replied, wincing slightly, "we need to get to the lab, now."

"But you're in no state to move!" Meyer stated. "Let me fix your wound first.

"Meyer, we need to... get to O.R.B.S. Quickly make a dressing, we've gotta go." Ackerly ordered. She flinched again.

Meyer reluctantly nodded. She ripped Ackerly's jacket. She folded the material a few times before putting it on the wound. It pressed against the wound. She used the rest of the jacket to hold the dressing in place by tying it tightly around Ackerly's chest. Meyer slowly helped Ackerly to sit up then onto her feet. Ackerly groaned in pain. "We really shouldn't be doing this."

"I know." Ackerly replied wincing, "But we have to."

Meyer put an arm around Ackerly and they hurried as fast as they could down the final few corridors. Ackerly had a gun and shot at the enemies that blindingly ran around the corner. Meyer made sure that Ackerly didn't fall or pass out on their way. Turning the final corner with the lab at the end caused both women to stop in their tracks.

A long trail of S.H.E.I.L.D agents lay dead on the ground leading to the lab's door. The two guards that were guarding the lab were slumped against the wall either side of the door. They could see movement inside. Ackerly and Meyer carefully and quickly waded through the bodies until they reached the door and charged in.

A tall, lanky figure stood in front of the podium that O.R.B.S sat upon. Not wanting to waste any time with the element of surprise they had, Ackerly shot the person. They dropped to the floor instantly. O.R.B.S balanced precariously on the edge of the stand. Bright light emitted from a crack in O.R.B.S. Ackerly's eyes widened. She pushed Meyer outside the lab and slammed her hand on the button that locked the room.

Meyer pressed the button that would allow them to communicate through the wall, "What the hell?!" Meyer shouted through the glass. "Doctor!"

"The shell of O.R.B.S has been compromised!" Ackerly responded, grasping her painful side. "It's cracked." Light from the shell intensified.

"Oh God!" Meyer exclaimed worriedly. "W-what are you gonna do?"

"I gotta see if the containment field is still working." Ackerly said quickly. She hurried over to the control panel and punched in the cods for the containment field. It failed. "No, no, no, no, no!" She put in the sequence again. It failed again. "Damn it!" Ackerly frantically searched the panel, "Damn it, it's been sabotaged!"

"Not good." Meyer said running a bloodied hand through her air. She paced a little then stopped, "What do you want me to do?"

"Get everyone alive out of here!" The lab filled with a brilliant blue light. "If the containment field isn't working then the only thing that stands between it and everyone else is me and if I can't stop it everyone needs to get out of here or they're dead!"

"But, doc! Don't be a goddamn martyr!" Meyer shouted. She watched Ackerly desperately rush about trying to think of a way to stop O.R.B.S from breaching or to reinforce the laboratory to contain the blast.

"Damn it, Teagan, this isn't up for discussion!" Ackerly shouted harshly. "Do it!"

Meyer sighed and grudgingly nodded. "Ok," she ran another hand though her hair, "Ok, I'll do it." She turned her face away from Ackerly, drawing her chin towards her shoulder, "Ok, I'll get everyone out." Meyer stepped away to leave.

"And Tia," Ackerly said. The light intensified. Meyer glanced back at Ackerly to find her wearing a soft expression, "take care of Orion."

Meyer nodded with a small smile. "Always." and with that she hurried away.

Ackerly turned back to her work with a deep shaky breath. Blood seeped through the makeshift dressing onto her clothes. She pushed through the pain and moved towards O.R.B.S. Something grabbed her leg and yanked her to the ground. She landed hard and gasped in pain. Ackerly's eye widened. The person who stood by O.R.B.S survived the gunshot to the head. "What?!" She exclaimed.

The woman smirked crazily at the doctor and kicked Ackerly in the side. She screamed in pain and reeled violently, clutching her side. "You have no idea what you're messing with!" Ackerly shouted through tears, "The shell is cracked! It's gonna-"

The woman put a finger to her lips and hushed the doctor. The woman turned back to O.R.B.S which was now whining loudly. Glancing around for something to use Ackerly spotted her gun not far from her. But the woman was closer than the gun. She needed to make a decision. She flinched as the whining increased.

Ackerly held onto her haemorrhaging side and kicked her legs out at the woman, knocking her off her feet. The woman reacted. Jumping onto her shins she connected her foot with Ackerly's chest, winding her and forcing her backwards. Ackerly locked a leg around one of the woman's and pushed, sending her face to slam on the floor. Ackerly painfully rolled to her right and grabbed the gun. The woman stood up wearing a crazy smirk. Ackerly shot the woman in the face and she collapsed in a heap.

Ackerly fell onto the floor, breathing heavily. Hopefully the woman was dead. She swallowed and wiped her head, smudging blood across it. The whining became severe that she grasped her ears tightly but it still rang in her ears. The doctor stared at O.R.B.S. The entire casing of the outer shell had shattered onto the ground beneath the podium, exposing its insides. Bright, intense blue light filled the room. Lanky veins branched from O.R.B.S, stretching towards Ackerly. Her heart pounded as she painfully crawled back. Her arms shook under her and her stomach filled with butterflies. She backed into the wall, wishing she could crawl further back.

Slumping against it, she inhaled sharply and looked down at her side. Blood dripped down her body, seeping into every part of her of her clothing. Every inch of her hurt. Her sight blurred and focused causing her head to swim in dizzy circles. Light exploded from O.R.B.S, blinding Ackerly. She screamed, tears streaming down her face, never has she seen such a thing. O.R.B.S fulminated, shattering everywhere. The equipment disintegrated and the laboratory erupted into pieces.


	6. Chapter 6

The continuous ticking of the clock, and the bleeping machinery surrounded the stiff hospital bed. Drip bags hung from cold, steel rods attached to the unconscious body on the bed by webs of IV lines, feeding tubes and catheters. Save from the symphony of machinery, the white room was quiet and smelt like cleaning fluids and wet dog. Orion.

_"And Tia," Ackerly said. The light intensified. Meyer glanced back at Ackerly to find her wearing a soft expression, "take care of Orion."_

_Meyer nodded with a small smile. "Always."_

The ECG beeped in a steady rhythm and the no longer used ventilator sat quietly to the side. Analgesics and antibacterial drugs pumped through her blood stream. The bright, white, thin lights blared on the equally bright painted ceiling; it burned into her sensitive eye lids.

_O.R.B.S fulminated, shattering everywhere. The equipment disintegrated and the laboratory erupted into pieces. _

Sterilised bandages wrapped around the body on the bed. The stickiness and smell of blood was long gone, and the blood lost was soon replaced.

A group of people chattered in the busy hallway, standing out of the way of the occupied doctors and nurses who tended to their patients. A patient shouted not too far down the corridor.

The room was a mass of blurred shapes and neutral colours. A large blob of variations of blue and white stuck out among the dull, and a soft snoring sound came from it. Alas that was not the oddest thing in the room. Something felt off. The fog lifted from her groggy brown eyes and she stared down at her body. Around her torso she felt clean bandages wrapped around it but something further down concerned her. She lifted her aching head to get a better look of her situation.

Horror flooded through her body. She paled, breathing hitched. Ackerly yelped. Her words stuck in her throat; no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't speak. Ackerly shrieked. Ringing whined in her ears, her heart palpitated, and she trembled uncontrollably. Her stomach churned, and a tingling sensation filled her fingers. Ackerly shrieked louder and longer this time. Orion started barking.

Doctors rushed into the room barking orders at each other. Barton, Romanoff and Meyer rushed to the door but were stopped by a nurse, preventing them from going any further. "My leg!" Ackerly screamed, staring at the agents by the doorway, "My leg!" Everything from the left thigh down was gone. A doctor injected her with enough drugs to calm her down but not enough to sedate her. The panic attack subsided and she flopped back on the bed muttering quietly with sweat beads dripping down her temples.

The three agents looked at each other with concerned expressions. They stepped away from the door as the doctors and nurses finished with Ackerly and returned to their other patients. "At least she's now awake." Barton said attempting to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, but she's got one and a half legs." Meyer uttered.

"It's was the only way we were gonna get her out." Barton said. "It was either lose her leg or lose her."

"I know." Meyer replied. "I guess her reaction put me off." She straightened her shirt. "I'm gonna let Fury know that she's awake." The others nodded and Meyer walked away.

Romanoff looked back into the room. "Does Phil have her prosthetic?"

Barton nodded, "Yeah. I'm surprised it didn't take longer to convince Stark to make a leg for her."

"He's intrigued by her as much as everyone else is, she should have died back on the Helicarrier."

"She didn't though, did she."

Romanoff shook her head, "No she didn't." She looked at Clint curiously, "Did you ever find O.R.B.S?"

Barton shook his head. "We looked everywhere. It's completely vanished."

_Shrapnel fell around her, crushing her under it. She couldn't breathe. Her chest was restricted. The organs of O.R.B.S sprawled out around the lab. They slowly merged together to become one. The new ball of energy slithered towards the half dead Ackerly and merged itself around her legs. It crawled around her lower half before wriggling up the rest of her body and engulfing her in blue light. The light faded and joined with her._

Coulson and Fury strode down the hall towards Ackerly's hospital room with Meyer in tow. Romanoff and Barton watched as they approached. "How awake is she?" Fury enquired.

"The sedatives are wearing off. She's still coming to terms with the loss of her leg." Romanoff said. "Visitors are one at a time."

"If you don't mind I would like to go in first." Coulson said. "She needs to see a friendly face, plus I've got her leg from Stark."

Fury nodded. "Don't take too long, I would like to talk with her." Coulson gave Fury an understanding nod and walked into the hospital room.

Ackerly's watched him enter and close the door with sad, useless, red eyes. She blinked slowly at him. "Hello, Phil."

"Hey, doc." Coulson said. He patted Orion on the head, the dog laid at the end of the bed.

"What have you got there?" She asked, speaking slower than usual.

"Your new leg courtesy of Tony Stark himself." Coulson replied with a smile. "It's a one of a kind."

Ackerly didn't reply with a smile she usually would. "Oh." She said simply.

"I'll leave it here." Coulson placed the prosthetic on the armchair beside the bed.

"How long have I been out?" She asked.

"You've been in a coma for about 2 mouths." Coulson replied. Ackerly's eyes widened. "You didn't miss much; you already know Fury approached Stark about the Avengers Initiative. So yeah, not much."

"Must have been a boring couple of months." She said with a blank expression.

"It kinda was." Coulson said. Fury knocked on the door and gestured for Coulson to leave. "Looks like I've got to go." He said heading for the door. "You'll be just fine." Ackerly nodded at him and watched him leave the room.

Fury then entered in Coulson's place. "How are you doing, doctor?" He asked.

"I'm stuck in bed, so not good." She replied. "It sounds like I've missed a boring couple of months."

Fury nodded, "Yeah, you did. We couldn't find O.R.B.S."

"Oh," she said indifferently, "Shame."

"You don't sound too bothered by the news." Fury uttered.

"How the hell did they know where it was Fury? Hmm?! How do they know?" She sat forward speaking bitterly, Fury was steadfast, "How?! Only you, the guards, to an extent, Phil, Natasha and Clint, Hill, Meyer and I knew what was in there. How?!"

"Ackerly, calm down. I don't-"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" She shouted fuming. "Answer the question! How did they know!?"

"Ack-" Fury started, again he was interrupted.

"They cost me my leg because they wanted O.R.B.S! The woman cracked the shell causing all this to happen!" She yelled. She waved her hands about as she shouted, "How, Nick?! How?!" She screamed the last word and threw her hands out to the side. Her veins sparked blue and her eyes flashed the same colour. A ball of blue energy shot out both palms striking the walls on either side. Both Fury and Ackerly stared at her and her hands in silence. All anger faded from the room and was replaced by alarm, confusion and disbelief.

"I think we found O.R.B.S." Barton said staring into the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Fury jumped back a few steps, staring at the equally shocked doctor. Her glowing veins dwindled and she stared at her hands incredulously. She looked at her arms and back at her hands. "What... was that?" She breathed. Her intrigue piqued considerably, she studied her hands.

The hospital room door opened and Romanoff, Barton, Coulson and Meyer ambled into the room. "I think," Barton said. Ackerly looked to him for answers, "that somehow you absorbed the energy from O.R.B.S."

Ackerly blinked at him, "It... seems plausible, I guess."

"Try and do it again." Romanoff said.

"Oh no, no, no, no!" Ackerly exclaimed. "I'm not doing it again. I don't even know how I did it the first time!"

"You were angry with me." Fury uttered stepping forward.

"Yeah, and you still haven't answered my question," She said still sounding slightly bitter.

"They worked for H.Y.D.R.A. Don't worry, we sorted it out." Fury told her. Ackerly narrowed her eyes at Fury, something nagged her, was he lying? "Could you at least try to do it?"

"I told you, I don't know how I done it!" She snapped. Her eyes glowed slightly. "Sorry... Sorry."

"It's alright." Coulson told her.

A doctor stopped by the door and rasped on it loudly. He opened it with an unhappy expression. "Excuse me! Doctor Ackerly only has one visitor at a time!"

"We'll be right out." Romanoff said.

"J-just go. I need to think." Ackerly said to them.

"Ok," Coulson said, "let's go everyone." They said their goodbyes and filed out of the room.

"I'm gonna get the doctors to run some more tests on her. I need to know what's going on." Fury uttered, glancing at the agents. "Romanoff, Barton, go back to the lab and see if your idea is plausible, search the data Ackerly got from O.R.B.S." The two agents nodded.

"I'm going to stay here." Coulson said. "Just in case something happens."

"I'll stay here too," Meyer voiced. Fury nodded in understanding at the two and he, Barton and Romanoff headed to where they needed to go.

Ackerly stared up at the ceiling._ My leg. Why did this happen to me? Why did O.R.B.S do what it did? Clint's right, it did absorb into me. I don't know how, but I know. I guess I wasn't going crazy when I saw sparks similar to what happened with Fury and me. But why did it do it at all? I should be dead. Did I do something to make it... merge with me? Could I have stopped it? _She sighed. _I've got to stop snapping at everyone. It's not helping. I really don't know if I can do it again and I don't want to._ Ackerly sighed again. _I need some sleep. I need to think._

Ackerly settled into bed and tried to get as comfy as she could, she never liked sleeping on her back. Ackerly glanced at the clock 6:30pm ticked away. She closed her eyes. She could hear Phil and Teagan chatting to each other outside. A bird chirped in the distance and the smell sickly hospital coffee lingered in the air._ I think Teagan needs to cut down on the coffee._ Orion snored loudly at the end of the bed. For some reason she could the sparking energy running through hospital machinery around her. She shuddered a little, it felt weird. Ackerly swore her prosthetic in the chair was staring at her. A prosthetic. She'd have to learn how to work again, no doubt about that. _I wonder how Orion coped without me. Something tells me he never left. I may have lost my leg but... but I have my life. I have my life._

Ackerly opened her stinging eyes and glanced to the clock above the door. 6:35pm. _God damn it! It's only been five minutes. I'll try again._

Ackerly closed her eyes again.

_"I gotta see if the containment field is still working." Ackerly said quickly. She hurried over to the control panel and punched in the cods for the containment field. It failed. "No, no, no, no, no!" She put in the sequence again. It failed again. "Damn it!" Ackerly frantically searched the panel, "Damn it, it's been sabotaged!"_

_Something grabbed her leg and yanked her to the ground. She landed hard and gasped in pain. Ackerly's eye widened. The person who stood by O.R.B.S survived the gunshot to the head. "What?!" She exclaimed. _

_The woman smirked crazily at the doctor and kicked Ackerly in the side._

_The woman put a finger to her lips and hushed the doctor._

Ackerly screamed and jolted awake. The blazing eyes of the dead woman glared at her in the dark. Tears streamed down her face and stained the sheets as she snivelled into them. Meyer rushed into the room and immediately was at Ackerly's side comforting her. She put am arm around the crying woman. "Gabriella, you're alright. You're safe." Meyer cooed.

"Her eyes." Ackerly murmured. Meyer looked confused. "Crazy eyes. She didn't die, Tia. She didn't die." Ackerly glanced up at Meyer with glistening, wet and sore eyes. She sniffed and wiped her nose on her the sheets.

"You mean... that woman in the lab?" Meyer asked. Ackerly nodded. "Holy sh- A-anyway, she's dead. We found her body, she is dead." Ackerly sniffed and leaned against Meyer. She continued to snivel as the other woman hugged her. Meyer noticed Coulson standing at the door. He wore an extremely concerned expression for Ackerly. Something was off with her, he was worried for her.

* * *

><p>"So it's possible that O.R.B.S absorbed into Ackerly." Romanoff said looking at the doctor's data. "She says it's a strange object capable of anything. It even says 'I have found what looks like some sort of separating mechanism within O.R.B.S. I speculate that if any of the parts are separated from the heart of O.R.B.S and it may be able to come together to form a new more complex structure.' and that 'complex structure' is whatever's inside Ackerly."<p>

Barton nodded. "Man, this thing is more alien than we first thought."

Romanoff agreed with a nod. "Let's head back to Fury and tell him what we've found."

* * *

><p>"And make sure you get the results to me as soon as possible. I need to know what's wrong with her." Fury told the doctor looking after Ackerly.<p>

The doctor nodded, "I'll get them back to you as soon as I have them, Director Fury." The doctor hurried away.

* * *

><p>Coulson knocked on the door in three soft taps. He poked his head through the door. "They want to run a few more tests on you. I told them I'd check with you first."<p>

"What kinds of tests?" Ackerly asked wiping her eyes and nose.

"Bloods, CT-scan, MRI, basically any scan they can think of to help get to the bottom of your... outburst." Coulson revealed.

"Ok, they can. Maybe I can sleep while they do it." Ackerly chuckled.

Coulson nodded and gestured for the doctors to start running their tests. As a nurse passed he whispered, "Take care of her." To which the nurse nodded and continued working.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading everyone. Let me know what you think as there's two more chapters to go!<strong>

**wolftattoo- That's the reason I added that to the story. I have a headcanon that Fury's defineity done something like it before and though why not? I'll have Ackerly be part of it.**


	8. Chapter 8

All the tests done on Ackerly finished just after three in the afternoon. She dosed off once or twice but only for a few seconds each time. She was exhausted by the time they finished and they insisted that she should try on her prosthetic and go to physiotherapy. Ackerly firmly declined and spent the next few hours trying to get to sleep but failing. Meyer and Coulson had disappeared to the canteen when they thought she was asleep.

Lying on her back, her eyes flickered to the cybernetic leg that was still in the chair beside the bed. She swore that it wants her to try it on. It was nagging her subconsciously. But she didn't have the motivation to do it, she just stared at it. She'd have to face it sooner or later. Orion looked up at his owner with a titled head. His ears pricked forward and looked at her with concerned eyes.

"Orion, I'm fine." She told him. He jumped off the bed and pawed at the armchair. Ackerly sighed, "Orion, no. I don't want to." Orion moved back to the bed and put his chin on the edge. He whined softly with sad eyes. "Orion don't." Ackerly could never resist those huge sad eyes. "Orion." She said sternly. Orion moved his head up the bed towards Ackerly's shoulder. She sighed defeated, "Fine," she nodded her head at the leg, "go get it."

Orion's tail wagged wildly and he bound over to get the leg. Ackerly wheeled the drip stand around the bed and stopped it beside her. Orion watched her with the leg in his mouth. Ackerly inhaled deeply. She pushed the sheets to the end of the bed and swivelled to the edge of the bed. She slowly moved her stump over the end of the bed and kicked her other leg over the side. Orion plopped leg on her lap.

Ackerly picked it up and studied it. It looked much like her right leg despite the outer covering was shiny jet black in colour. She made a noise of approval, "Lookin' good, Stark, not bad." Inside the socket was a soft, grey coloured foam and dangling from the socket was a strap to hold the stump in place. A sock already sat in the socket. Ackerly removed the sock from her stump and put it neatly beside her. She put on the clean one and pulled on the prosthetic. She tightened the strap around the top of her thigh and moved her leg. She hummed in content, "Fits like a glove."

Ackerly breathed deeply. "Ok but I should get my physiotherapist to help... I'm not really sure; I shouldn't really do this at all." She spoke unsure. "Eh, what the hell. I'll have a go."

Ackerly swallowed and moved closer to the edge off the bed. Orion watched her closely. She planted her hands either side of her and slowly put her bare right foot onto the cool floor. She shuddered a little from the cold. Taking another deep breath, the ball of the foot touched the floor. Excitement flooded through Ackerly's body_, its going good. But I gotta take it easy_. Now she put the heel onto the floor. She could feel the ankle adjust to the solid floor. Standing up and putting most of her body weight on her right leg, she held onto the drip stand and took a few deep breaths.

Then she distributed her body weight across both her legs. After a couple of wobbles she steadied herself. Ackerly laughed loudly, "Awesome. Okay Orion, I'm gonna take a step now." She held her breath nervously as she took a step, but when her foot touched the floor it buckled and she collapsed onto the floor. The drip stand landed with a crush. Ackerly grumbled and bundled her hands into fists with a few tears escaped her eyes. Orion nudged her shoulder.

"Leave me alone Orion!" She snapped, swatting at the dog. Tears built up and she couldn't swallow past the lump in her throat, "Just- just- just get away from me." Orion whined sadly but lay next to her with his nose by her nose. Ackerly sniffed and hugged the border collie.

"Gabriella!" Coulson shouted urgently from the door. She sighed at his voice. He rushed over to her, "I thought you were asleep!" He helped her back onto the bed and stood the stand back up. "Weren't you going to do this tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry. I just- I just couldn't wait. I'm sorry." Ackerly muttered.

Coulson sighed, "Oh, don't be sorry. You could've at least told me what you were going to do. I would've helped." He put an arm around her.

"I know. I didn't want to bother you."

"After all these years I'd like to like to think that the only thing that bothers you is me calling you up in the middle of the night to come in." Coulson said with a smile.

Ackerly chuckled, "Yeah that does bother me."

"Good." He rubbed her shoulder. "Now, if you do that again don't just have Orion helping you out," Orion's ears pricked up at his name, "get me or Meyer to help you."

"I will." She replied.

"Now then," Coulson stood up and clasped his hands together, "do you plan on doing it again? If so I'm sure that I can get your therapist."

Ackerly smiled at him, "Yeah, that'll be great."

Coulson grinned, "Stay here and I'll go fetch her." Ackerly watched Coulson leave and Meyer entered.

"So how are ya?" Meyer asked sitting at the end of the bed.

"I haven't slept properly since I woke up." Ackerly told her, rubbing her eyes, "Believe me I've tried but I'm so stressed my insomnia has kicked into over drive."

Meyer raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you taking your tables?"

"I stopped taking them- I kept getting headaches." Ackerly told her, "but I might try cognitive behavioural treatments again, see if they work this time."

Meyer nodded in understanding. "Oh ok."

"So where's Fury, Barton and Romanoff?" Ackerly asked.

"They're tryin' to figure out what happened to you." She said.

"What do you have so far?"

"Well according to Barton, it's true what he said, that O.R.B.S did merge with you, How? I don't think we'll ever now." Meyer informed her. "And Fury with all your tests is probably sitting with your doctor right now talking about your head, DNA sequences and structures, and whatever else the results show. I haven't seen him for a while."

Coulson returned with Ackerly's physiotherapist, Doctor Erin Hook, to take her to the physio room. Coulson wheeled her there with Meyer and Orion in tow. "Hook?" Ackerly asked as they ambled down the corridor.

"Yes?" The middle aged women responded.

"I shouldn't have taken a step, should I?"

"The muscle in your stump is weaker than your other leg because you haven't used it much, so it wouldn't have really mattered, you would've fallen sooner or later. But we're going to build up the muscle by swimming, massaging, we'll also do exercises before walking such as shifting weight side to side and balancing."

"Okay, but when it comes to swimming can I swim without my prosthesis first?"

"Whatever you want to do we'll do it." Hook replied. Ackerly smiled to herself. "We'll go at your speed."

They reached the physio room. In the white room exercise mats littered the floor, five treadmills lined the right side of the room, a few exercise balls rested beside a shelf, and other exercise equipment sat around the room. Orion found a small exercise ball and chased after it. "Have fun, and we'll leave you too it." Coulson said. He and Meyer left.

Ackerly wheeled behind Hook, who led her to a plinth couch. Ackerly pushed herself into it. Hook spoke, "I think you know that you rushed into it. Taking time to stand and get used to your prosthesis is foremost before you can walk." Ackerly nodded. "So, are you ready?"

"Ready." Ackerly replied.

* * *

><p><strong>So here it is! The penultimate chapter! Don't forget to leave a review please. :)<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

Over the next couple of months Ackerly and Hook worked together to build up her muscle and get used to the prosthesis. Fury, Romanoff, Barton and the others worked hard to figure out why O.R.B.S fused with Ackerly. All the results were inconclusive so they would never really understand why or how it happened. In all the scans that Fury ordered didn't bring up much either, her brain showed no unusual activity that looked remotely like O.R.B.S's power signature but they would need her to use her power to really understand any significant changes to any part of her body. Alas every time they asked Ackerly point blank refused to do so, she didn't know how she did it the first time and she wasn't planning on participating in experiments anytime soon.

She had gotten used to being an above the knee amputee, standing with her prosthesis and getting used to walking at a steady pace. She could walk from the physio room to her room and back without aid but going further will take time. The flashbacks reduced considerably, she only has one every so often.

Now she can walk longer distances and can run short distances. She took training with Natasha to hone her skills with the prosthesis. Stark had made the leg light and durable for any occasion and she discovered that it had it had DNA imprinting so that it could be used in two different setting. The standard setting acted like any normal leg prosthesis it's fit for walking, running and the like, just everyday stuff. The additional setting was much like the standing setting but increased the strength, comfort, stamina, durability of the prosthesis during missions and training; it also decreased energy consumption so it was more affective in stressful situations.

Resulting from the explosion she was upgraded in more ways than one, her senses were enhanced along with her strength, endurance, reflexes, agility and durability. She discovered those during a training session with Natasha and Clint. Yet she refused to emit energy.

Throughout the months she hadn't discharged energy at her surroundings or lost her temper, much. It took a lot of convincing from Coulson, Meyer and Barton to be tested on while she expelled energy from her hands like she did back at the hospital.

She and Barton walked along the corridors of the Helicarrier the test area. "So where's Natasha and Tia?" Ackerly asked, taking off her jacket for the experiment, "I haven't seen them for a while."

"They're undercover." Barton replied.

"Ah." Ackerly took off her shirt, and continued walking in a navy tank top and black trousers for the occasion.

"In Stark Industries." He added.

"Fury's still considering Stark? I thought after all Meyer has said that's he's not fit, has narcissistic tendencies etc. that he wasn't going to do it."

Barton chuckled, "No, Fury's willing to give him a chance."

"Next thing we know is Fury's gonna have Stark be a consultant."

The pair reached the lab where Fury, Coulson and Hill waited inside. Adjacent to the lab was a long open firing range with a wide one way glass so those in the lab could see what was going on in the test area.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Coulson asked, just checking if she was really serious about it.

Ackerly put a hand on his shoulder, "I am." She turned to Fury, "Right, let's get this over and done with before I change my mind."

Hill placed electrodes on Ackerly's forehead, chest -specifically over her heart- upper and lower arms. Hill hooked them up to a small Bluetooth device that would then send the information they recorded to the screen in front of Fury and Coulson. It would show them how her heart coped, how her brain reacted and how her DNA was altered in any way.

Ackerly showed herself into the testing range and attempted to reach into herself to throw balls of energy at the targets. They knew it would take some time for her to be able to do so because she's only done it once before.

Ackerly's heart rate lowered as did her breathing. She flung her hand at a target but nothing happened. _I feel like a right idiot standing here with nothing happening. No, come on, don't think like that, I've gotta be in a good mood for this._ She did it twice again and still nothing happened. "C'mon." She muttered to herself. "You can do this."

Ackerly cast her hand at the target again and nothing happened. She huffed in annoyance but calmed herself down. She could feel the disappointment from the room behind her floating towards her.

The doctor breathed deeply and aimed her hand at the target. She fired. Her heart raced in exhilaration. It worked, it actually worked. She did it. She fired another ball of energy at the target's head, getting rid of it entirely. She hoped a little in excitement and cracked the biggest beam she ever beamed.

Coulson raced in and grabbed her by the arms. She was falling. Coulson spoke but she couldn't hear him, he sounded muffled. Her vision blurred, shapes moulding into one.

_The new ball of energy slithered towards the half dead Ackerly and merged itself around her legs. It crawled around her lower half before wriggling up the rest of her body and engulfing her in blue light. The light faded and joined with her._

"Gabriella! Gabriella!" Coulson shouted. The indistinct voices became clearer. He shook her lightly, "Gabriella!"

Barton kneeled next to her with a concerned expression on his face. "Doc?"

Ackerly blinked blankly at the men. Her sight returned. "W-what happened?" She asked slowly.

"You fainted!" Barton exclaimed. "Coulson caught the signs; I've never seen him run so fast."

"I am here, y'know." Coulson said. He looked back at Ackerly. "Anyway, do you feel alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." They helped her sit up. "But I did it! It was... I've never felt anything like it." She grinned. "I want to do it again."

Coulson and Barton exchanged worried glances. "Are you sure?" Coulson asked.

Ackerly nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure. I can handle it."

The two men helped her to her feet and returned to the lab. "If she's sure she'll be fine she can do it." Fury said to quell their worries.

Ackerly wiped her brow and took long deep breathes. She aimed her hand at the target and fired. Balls of energy struck the target and blast of its head. Ackerly paused, _I wonder... _She aimed both hands at two targets and fired. Both targets disintegrated. She beamed. Ackerly could feel the power flowing through her veins. It was something she's never felt before, it was exciting. There was a spring in her step as she fired again. She even did trick shots but still needed to work on her aim.

"Ok, doctor. We've got enough data, you can stop know." Fury said over the intercom.

Ackerly nodded. She couldn't resist doing one last cheeky blast before heading into the lab. Once in the lab she took off the electrodes and the Bluetooth device. She placed them on the table and walked over to the screen.

"It seems that when you fire the energy small beads on your DNA spark." Coulson said pointing to a string of her DNA.

Ackerly nodded, "They must be residue from O.R.B.S. Probably gives me my powers." She rubbed her chin. "What about everything else?"

"Your heart is fine. I don't think blasting energy takes any toll on it." Barton uttered, "Nothing really happens to your other organs."

"The electrical impulses all over your brain increase when you power up but it's nothing serious," Hill added, "There's nothing overly strange going on."

Ackerly breathed a sigh she didn't know she was holding, "That's good to know." She pulled on her shirt, "Is there anything else I gotta know?"

Coulson, Barton and Hill shook their heads. "Doctor, once you've finished here I'd like to talk to you." Fury said standing from his seat.

Ackerly nodded, "Ok, but I'm done now so let's talk."

Fury gestured for her to follow him. They left the lab and headed in the direction towards Fury's office. They walked in silence until they reached the office. Fury sat behind his desk and Ackerly sat in front of him. He sat up straight. He put his hands together and wore a neutral expression. "I'd like to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative."

Ackerly's face was one of shock and confusion. "Wait," she held up a finger, "What?!"

"I want you to join the Initiative." Fury told her, "To defend Earth-"

"Yeah I know what the Initiative is, but why me?" Ackerly asked.

"In all honesty, doctor, I was considering you for it before the accident." Fury said matter of factly. "Your powers are a bonus."

"Ok, I'm in."

Now it was Fury's time for an expression of confusion. "Excuse me?"

"You don't have to give me the talk, I know it," Ackerly told him, "I want to help defend Earth from threats you can't handle, besides it might give me a chance to use what I can do for something other than experiments."

Fury chuckled a little at that. He composed himself, "Are you sure?" he asked, "are you in?"

"I'm in."

* * *

><p><strong>So there we have it! Gabriella Ackerly: Origins is over! But don't worry I am working on a sequel but am currently stumped for a plot, I know what I'm going to do but it's just how to write it. Y'all know how it is. Well in the meanwile check out my other stories on my proflie and I'll see you sometime! *waves bye* <strong>


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